Level indicating putter



Jaun. 5, 1960 G, H, DARRELL ETAL 2,919,491

LEVEL INDICATING PUTTER Filed Dec. 5, 1957 INVENTORS GEORGE H. DARRELLCHARLES E. CHANNING 1 im n L l 2,919,491 LEVEL INDICATIN G PUTTER GeorgeH. Darrell, Dedham, and Charles E. Channing, Dover, Mass.

This invention comprises a new and improved putter constructed andarranged to aid the golfer in determining with considerable accuracy thepitch of the putting green.

In the game of golf it is customary for a player who has reached thegreen to lay his putter on the ground to aid his eye in determining thecontour of the ground between the ball and the cup in order that he mayproperly gauge the force of the stroke required to propel the ball tothe cup without danger of overrunning it.

ln accordance with the present invention it is proposed to incorporateinto the shaft of the putter a level indicator such as a spirit leveland so enable the player to determine the slightest inclination in thecontour of the green. A player using the improved putter will thereforeenjoy a real advantage over his opponent when the putting green isreached.

Going more into detail, the putter of our invention has a shaftterminating at one end in an enlarged handle grip and at the other in anoffset head, together with a level incorporated in the shaft between thegrip and the offset head in a location to indicate a level position ofthe putter when supported by its head and handle grip upon a levelputting green surface. To affect the desired results a critical andexact relationship of the head, the grip and the level is essential. Itwill be apparent that the mere location of a level in the axis of theshaft will not result in a putter serviceable for the desired purposesand that we have invented a new combination of these components suchthat they cooperate in a novel manner to make possible the desiredresults.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are views in plan and elevation of the putter,

Figs. 3 and 4 are views in plan and longitudinal section showing themounting of the level bulb, and

Figs. 5 and 6 yare fragmentary views in plan and longitudinal sectionwith the addition of the protecting frame.

As herein shown the putter includes a tubular shaft of steel upon oneend of which is secured an enlarged handle grip 11 formed by winding astrip of leather or rawhide upon the shaft over felt or othercompressible filler. At its other end the shaft is secured to an offsethead 12 of steel or other metal. The putter thus far described is ofconventional design and it is appreciated that in practice a veryconsiderable variation in the shape of the head is experienced.

As herein shown an elongated opening is formed in the shaft 10 in alocation adjacent to the handle grip 11 opening into the hollow interiorof the shaft. In the opening thus made available is mounted theelongated bulb 13 of a spirit level of any commercial or well known Micetype. The bulb is partially filled with uid having a low freezing pointand leaving the usual air bubble. Transverse center lines on the surfaceof the bulb are also provided.

As herein shown the bulb is mounted and fixed within the shaft 10 bybeing set in a bed of cement 14, and this may be of any suitablecomposition as plaster of Paris or synthetic resin. The setting of thebulb 13 is determined with careful precision so that the bubble willindicate a level position of the putter as a whole when resting upon alevel surface indicated by the dot-and-dash line in Fig. 2 and which ofcourse will correspond to the level surface of the green.

The level is protected and a finished appearance imparted to the putterby telescopically mounting on the shaft 10 a tubular frame or sleeve 15.This may be of thin sheet metal having an elongated side opening 16which will expose the operative portion of the bulb 13 while concealingits mounting and the aperture formed in the wall of the shaft. Thesleeve 15 is shaped to t snugly upon the shaft 10 and may of course beslipped into position thereon any time before the attachment of the grip11 or head 12. The sleeve is friction-tight upon the shaft so that itmay be slipped into position to cover or expose the level as the userdesires. It also has the effect of reinforcing the shaft 10 in thevicinity of the aperture formed therein for the level.

ln use the player has only to place his putter on the green adjacent tohis ball and directed toward the cup. Any slope in the surface of thegreen is then immediately indicated by an off-center position of thebubble in the level, and the amount of slope may be checked by raisingthe lower end of the putter until the bubble moves to its centralposition. -It will be noted moreover that the effective position of thehead 12 is at right angles to the sight opening of the level so that thehead 12 retains the putter on the surface of the green with the levelupwardly exposed and in the most favorable position for inspection.

Having thus disclosed our invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, we claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

A level indicating device for determining the pitch of a putting greensurface including in its structure an elongated shaft having an offsethead at one end projecting laterally at substantially right angles, ahandle at the other end of larger diameter than the shaft, and anelongated level bulb extending longitudinally of and fixed within saidshaft and exposed to view in a position in the shaft at right angles tothe said head, the head and handle being of such dimensions as tosupport the bulb in level position when the head and handle rest upon alevel underlying surface.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

